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Competitors of KFC – Who is winning the fast food battle

COMPETITORS OF KFC

In this millennial age, there are very few quick-service chains that you will find sitting idle. KFC is one such fast food chain that does not make that list. Renowned for serving best-in-class fried chicken, all these years, KFC has also added other chicken products, soft drinks, and fries on its menu.

All these years, KFC has seen its own share of success and failures. It faces a stiff challenge not only locally but overseas as well and has many international, national and regional competitors.

JACK IN THE BOX:

An American fast-food restaurant chain, Jack in the Box was founded in 1951 by Robert O Peterson. The chain has restaurants in close to 2,200 locations and gives KFC major competition at its home ground (USA).

Although the food menu of Jack in Box includes hamburgers, chicken tenders, and french fries but is most known for its taco. As reported, in The Wall Street Journal, as of 2017, the company sells 554 million tacos in a year.

Besides tacos, other Americanized foods from ethnic cuisines that Jack in the Box offers include egg rolls, breakfast burritos, and poppers. The restaurant tries to introduce new items every three to four months and also carries seasonal items such as pumpkin pie shakes, Oreo mint shakes, and eggnog shakes during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. With its rich menu and sheer size in the USA, Jack in the Box is considered as one of the major competitors of KFC.

Popeyes:

Popeyes is an American multinational chain of fried chicken fast food restaurant and is the second-largest “quick-service chicken restaurant group, measured by a number of units”, after KFC.

There are more than 2,600 Popeyes restaurants in more than 40 states and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 30 countries worldwide. Out of the lot, about thirty locations are company-owned, the nearest franchised Mcdonalds.

Apart from chicken dishes served in mild and spicy flavors, Popeyes also offers fried chicken, Chichen-and-sausage jambalaya and po’boy sandwiches. Just like Jack in the Box, Popeyes also tries to experiment with its menu and introduces new items seasonally. The restaurant also offers meal combos and value meal packs to its customers. The menu of Popeyes is very much of the same lines as of KFC’s which makes it one of the main competitors of KFC.

McDonald’s:

Another American fast food company that gives KFC a run for its money is McDonald’s. Considered as the world’s largest restaurant chain by revenue, McDonald’s serves over 69 million customers daily in over 100 countries across approx 36,900 outlets as of 2016.

Although known for its hamburgers, cheeseburgers and french fries, McDonald’s also feature chicken products, breakfast items, soft drinks, milkshakes, wraps, and desserts.

The company changes its menu and tries to bring in the localized flavor depending on the market they are operating in ( For example: In India, McDonald’s lay much more emphasis on offering vegetarian food options because of a high proportion of vegetarian people)

McDonald’s also cater to health-conscious customers by adding salads, fish, smoothies, and fruits to its menu.

BURGER KING:

With over 15,243 outlets in 100 countries, Burger King (BK) is an American global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. Headquartered in the unincorporated area of Miami-Dade County, Florida.

From just offering burgers, French fries, sodas, and milkshakes, Burger King expanded its menu to a larger and more diverse set of products. In 1957, the “Whopper” became the first major addition to the menu, and it has become Burger King’s signature product since.

All these years, the Whopper has become synonymous with Burger King and also became the focus of much of its advertising. The company even named its new kiosk-style restaurants Whopper Bars.

With the expansion of Burger King, both inside and outside the US, it introduced localized versions of its products that conform to regional tastes and cultural or religious beliefs, for example, adding halal in the Middle East and Israel or beetroot and fried egg to the Whopper in Germany, Italy, and Spain.

WENDY’s:

Founded by Dave Thomas on November 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio, as of 2016, Wendy’s became the world’s third largest hamburger fast food chain with 6,500+ locations, following Burger King and McDonald’s.

Best known for its square hamburgers, Wendy’s menu consists primarily of hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, French fries, and beverages such as the Frosty.

Just like other competitors, Wendy’s also experiments with its menu and bring in the required changes that suit the local regional tastes.

Conclusion:

That concludes the competitors of KFC, the fast food sector is a tough space to compete it but its the right marketing strategy of KFC that enables it to have an edge over its competitors.